The human skin is subject to many diseases, some inconsequential and passing, some chronic and productive of partial or total disability, and others associated with congenital or acquired systemic diseases. One common type of skin disease is caused by fungi, e.g., ringworm of the scalp, athlete's foot, and jockstrap itch. Fungi, a class of primitive plants, include microscopic organisms capable of producing infections of the skin, or the skin and internal organs as well. Ringworm (Tinea) is the inclusive name given for a number of superficial infections caused by the fungi Trichophyton, Microsporum, and Epidermophyton. These organisms feed on keraton, the protein building material of the nails, hair, and stratum corneum. These types of skin infections are known to respond to certain types of drugs, e.g., Griseofulvin, a fungicidal antibiotic, or to such fungicidal phenolic compounds as p-aminophenol or p-aminosalicyclic acid, or both. A difficulty in treating these types of infections however is that it is often difficult, and sometimes virtually impossible to maintain contact between the drug, and the infected areas of the skin for a sufficiently adequate period to destroy the organisms; and, if the organisms are not essentially completely destroyed growth of the organisms reoccur. For example, sweating, which is particularly prevalent in the feet, between the toes, and the groin and armpits, not only washes away the drug but also creates conditions which favors growth of the organisms. Moreover, in many occupations, and climates, the warmth of the sun, or other climatic or environmental conditions which cause direct wetting of the infected areas are counterproductive in efforts to eliminate or control the disease by such treatments.
It is known to form an ether, or partial ether, by reaction of a compound with a polymer, the polymer forming in the reaction a binary complex, or if a solid, a matrix to which a ligand is attached. In some reactions the ligand is introduced to form an interconnecting link to which a third compound can then be attached. Bisoxiranes (bisepoxides), e.g., are known as useful reagents for the introduction of low molecular weight ligands through amino or hydroxyl groups onto a polymer, one epoxide group reacting with the polymer to attach the ligomer to the polymer with the other remaining free to provide an interconnecting link and functional group by virtue of which another compound can be attached. When coupling 1, 4-butanediol diglycidyl ether (bisglycidl ether of 1,4-dihydroxy-n-butane) with a polymer, represented by the formula P-OH, the following reaction is thus known to occur: ##STR1## It is further known that an alkylated amine, i.e., R--NH.sub.2, can be coupled with this product to form the following compound, to wit: ##STR2##
Albeit known that certain fungicidal phenolic compounds are useful for the treatment of skin diseases caused by fungi, and such chemical reactions per se are generally known, these problems persist. It remains an extremely difficult task for the physician to effectively treat skin diseases caused by fungi infections, a principal reason being that it is difficult to maintain effective contact between the drug and the infected areas of the skin for sufficient periods of time to kill off most, if not all of the organisms within the infected areas of the skin; principally because of the introduction of moisture which, inter alia, washes away the drug and creates conditions favorable for recultivation of the harmful organisms before their levels can be effectively reduced.